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Essay / Obstacles related to solar panels and solutions to overcome them. In recent years, global problems have increased due to the fact that these fuels are not renewable energy sources and the pollution they have caused to our oceans, forests and atmosphere. Thanks to our greatest source of life, the Sun, engineers have learned to harness its power and create a reusable, clean energy source to power our Earth. It may seem easy to believe that we can transition to this clean energy source, but many questions are raised in this process, including cost, efficiency and production. Through this article, I will describe the obstacles that prevent conversion to solar energy and how we can learn to overcome these obstacles and save our environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although solar energy can produce a cleaner environment, its cost compared to its fossil counterparts is a concern. Solar energy can cost several times more than other fossil fuels, even when its efficiency is significantly lower and results in wasted heat (Problems with Solar Energy, 2018). Current solar energy systems cannot produce as much energy as oil, for example. And given this higher cost of production, many people consider switching to a common energy source inefficient. Additionally, solar panels are not a simple installation for the average American, for example. Consumers reject support for solar panels not because of their efficiency, but because of their installation cost and other components that cause the cost to skyrocket (PSE, 2018). Most homes across the country were built long before solar power was created. Homeowners already have financial issues to deal with, including mortgages, utilities and repairs. People do not believe in the importance of this change because the process takes a long time and are not patient enough to see this return on investment. Although there is a return on investment over time, homeowners would still face maintenance issues maintaining these panels. Maintaining solar panels is very different from other fossil fuels because instead of hiring an average plumber or handyman, you have to hire a specialist when there aren't many in a phone book . While fossil fuels have been an essential part of people's lives since their youth, it can be difficult to believe in this change, especially when solar panels are less efficient and the costs that will come with them. Solar panel production is hampered due to inefficient materials and fluctuating manufacturing. costs. “Solar panels use expensive semiconductor materials to produce electricity directly from sunlight. Semiconductor factories require “clean” manufacturing environments and are expensive to build and maintain” (PSE, 2018). To produce these panels, driver factories must be created as if their environment should be as clean as the tools used for surgery. Individuals have set out to set up their own manufacturing facility, but tend to fail due to not only the costs of setting up these large factories, but also the day-to-day expenses required to keep their factories in tip-top shape. If these conditions are not met, multiple problemsoccur, including product damage or factory closures, and with the money invested in these factories, they cannot afford any restraint. Additionally, when it comes to the materials used to create solar panels, “material purity is a key issue. Current solar cell designs require high-purity, and therefore expensive, materials because impurities block the flow of electrical charge” (Make Solar Energy Economical, 2018). Impurities are the main problem when developing solar cells, as their appearance can lead to a complete rejection of electrical flow in the cell. Solar cells must be created cell by cell in order to create the overall panel. The solar cell manufacturing process must be followed specifically to avoid errors and production waste. For this reason, the process is hampered because not all production can be automated and still requires human resources to produce. With cheaper products, foreign companies were able to ship their own products to America and compete with our domestic productions. “Even worse, 80% of solar panel infrastructure in 2017 was imported from Asian-based manufacturers, meaning these funds don't even support U.S. companies. Taxpayer-funded subsidies fund foreign, particularly Asian, manufacturing” (Atwell, 2018). Since our government allows these imports, we are purchasing these products from abroad and harming our economy. American companies are then forced to compete with foreign ones by cutting costs, which leads to reductions in funds and workforce. Asian manufacturers can continually increase production when our consumers continually fund their products. Consumer preference for imports is reflected in our government's fluctuating subsidies for solar energy, which drive up domestic costs (Atwell, 2018). Our government is still learning how to manage our solar energy production on a national level. However, when designed to support imports, domestic manufacturers are unable to compete with these trends. While this is still an improvement toward clean energy through these imports, our economy is not positioned to take advantage of a growing opportunity that will be upon us in the decades to come. Converting from fossil fuels to green energy is a necessary step we must take to preserve our environment and improve the quality of life on Earth. This change cannot happen overnight, as solar energy has already been a process for the past few decades. Our main concern to learn from is how to improve efficiency. It will take time to find new materials that will reduce the cost of producing solar cells and reduce the amount of space used while improving energy production. Materials scientists have begun to refine their research into developing new materials that can be used to refine the power of the Sun. Many new materials have been introduced that prove stronger than silicon to turn the Sun into energy. However, these mining materials have not been adequately invested in, which is why the cost has not been transformed into something affordable for the average American, for example. Our government and private sectors need to understand that investing money in this research will pay off in the long run, because once effectiveness.
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